Minister Alahapperuma said at the meeting that a ferry connecting Colombo with Cochin in South India will create more benefits to both countries as it would significantly reduce the transport cost between India and Sri Lanka.

According to the Minister after completion of the rail track reconstruction from Colombo to Thalaimannar, the passenger ferry service from Thalaimannar Pier to India will become a reality.

The Minister said that the President Mahinda Rajapaksa has directed to streamline the transport service between the two countries and measures have been already taken to recommence the train services from Sri Lanka to India.

The popular and well-patronized ferry service between Thalaimannar on Sri Lanka's northwest coast and Dhanushkodi in India, which also had a railway link, was suspended during the 1980s due to the fighting between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan military.

The SAARC Ministers also agreed to name the coming decade from 2009 to 2019 as the SAARC Regional Transport Cooperation Decade' to foster cooperation among the nations in the region.

The SAARC Transport Ministers also discussed ways to reduce barriers at border crossings in the region to encourage more travel and transport of goods and measures to link the SAARC countries, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka by a railway network, the Ministry added.